saltmarsh
by wishthund
Summary: i'm making a couple clans and i got really excited so i wanted to post something. this isn't a story, it's just some general info them. after im done with the individual clans im gonna write some history about 'em and like the warrior code n stuff. thank you if you read it
1. saltmarsh info

author note: i'm just making a couple clans and i'm gonna work on a bit of a story about them but uh yeah. if anyone reads it critique it? *shrugs* also nightsky is the equivalent of starclan. i didn't wanna put 'clan' in the names cause it's really restrictive

Saltmarsh

Clan traits

Character:  
Saltmarsh are the most secretive clan, though they aren't unfriendly in times of peace. They keep their territory well-guarded from all outsiders. They work well together and value team-work and honesty. They will help other clans, although it usually comes with a price, such as asking for permission to hunt on another clan's territory for a short time. They are less dedicated to Nightsky than the other clans, preferring to focus more on the physical than the spiritual. Saltmarsh are fierce fighters and aren't afraid to settle disputes with violence; they aren't blood-thirsty by any means, however.

Physical:  
The cats in this clan have thick fur and strong muscles. They are all great jumpers, even the elders, and good fighters. They tend to have larger builds than the other clans. The sleeker cats do the hunting on the beach, as they can run faster.

Ranks:  
The leader represents the clan and makes sure the camp is running smoothly; they aren't necessarily any higher than the other cats. Their word isn't law. The big decisions- such as if a deputy is fit to be leader- in Saltmarsh are made by a council consisting of able elders and senior warriors, along with the leader, medicine cat and deputy. The leader then announces it to the rest of the clan. Democracy is a very important part of the clan, with every cat involved in the discussions.

There is always at least two medicine cats at any one time, and all warriors are required to learn some first aid. As always, the medicine cats decipher prophecies from Nightsky, and each moon meet at the Starstream. Medicine cats are allowed to take mates.

The apprentices are taught for 8 moons. They all learn to run and hunt on soft sand and how to catch crabs; trained to hunt in long grass and thick brush; trained in fighting and medicine; and most importantly, jumping. They are allowed to observe and participate in some council meetings.

The elders are revered and taken care of by the whole clan. They are excellent storytellers and the wisest cats of the clans.

Territory:  
At the top of Saltmarsh territory is a small forest, which they only use during times of desperation- mostly storms. Beach grass and tough ocean bushes climb sporadically up the cliff face, making it relatively easy to climb up or down. Saltmarsh camp is nestled away among the thick bushes- which shield the camp from the wind- on the slope of the cliff. The grass reaches down to the beach a fair way, mixing with the sand, and after those is the open beach. The cats of Saltmarsh don't go too far towards the water, simply because there isn't reason enough to.

In storms, when the wind is blowing hard, having to climb down the cliff and hunt is very dangerous. Cats can get crushed by chunks of falling cliff, they can fall of the edge or not be able to climb back up. Saltmarsh's biggest fear is being swept into the ocean, which can rise halfway up the cliff during very intense storms.

Being the ocean, it rains a lot and it's windy almost all the time. When the sun does come out, though, and the sand is warm... Oh, Nightsky, to stretch out on that sand and nap; there's nothing better.

Camp:  
Well-hidden among the bushes and grass lies the Saltmarsh camp. It creeps half-way up the cliff. The dens are in a sort of crescent shape, with the leader's den at the top and the elder's at the bottom, and a clearing occupying the rest of the space. The bottom of the camp is the warmest part, the bushes outside the camp working as a windbreak for the elders, apprentices and queens. The medicine cat's den is situated between the leader's and the warriors. The fresh-kill pile is in a dip near the elders's den. A small fresh water stream flows down through the middle of the camp, ending in a pool by the fresh-kill pile. The clearing allows the clan to look out over the beach, and on clear days to warm their pelts and share tongues.

Hunting and food:  
The clan hunts small rodents and birds in the beach grass; birds, crabs and sometimes clams on the beach. Saltmarsh don't eat seagulls, as the gulls are more often then not unhealthy and spread sickness. They are good jumpers, since they can't stalk sea birds effectively on the open beach and they live in the bushes on the cliff face.

On the beach, their hunting style is less stealthy and more quick- they have to act fast and be aggressive to catch birds and crabs without any cover. To catch birds, they surround a flock- one side of the patrol scares the birds and the others leap up and catch the birds out of the air. It's generally a 4-5 cat operation and so only happens when they are sure it will work. Sometimes, when the sun is just right- when it's reflecting off the wet sand, they are able to run right up the the birds and snatch them away. When encountering crabs, one cat will stand on the top of the crab while another carefully disables the claws. Many cats have lost ears and even tongues. Saltmarsh aren't able to dig clams out of the sand, but when the twolegs come during clamming season they are able to scavenge what the twolegs leave behind. They are the only clan with this privilege.

In the grass, they hunt silently and patiently. In some places, where the grass is too thick for a cat to go through, one cat will go to one side of the clump and wait while another goes to the opposite side and flushes the prey out. Hunting is almost always a team effort. Sometimes a cat will wait right below a slight cliff until they hear a mouse moving around up there, and then they will jump up and kill it. this method requires extreme skill and not every cat can learn to do it.


	2. cliffdrop info

_an: i've been writing really slowly lately cause my meds are making my brain foggy. i don't even know if anything i'm writing is good or if it makes sense :0_

Cliffdrop

Clan traits

Character:  
Cliffdrop cats are friendly and charismatic. They are busy-bodies and gossipers and use their cleverness to get information from the other clans, which they may use to their advantage or not- they might even help out another clan. They can be quite arrogant because of this. They haven't directly been in many battles, instead siding with one of the clans. Though they can be wishy-washy, once they have made up their minds about something, they'll go through with it. They are the most spiritual clan, highly in tune with Nightsky; Saltmarsh and Driftwood take them seriously in this respect, as Cliffdrop doesn't joke around about this.  
Cliffdrop is the clan most tolerant of cross-clan relationships.

Physical:  
They generally have thick, short fur and long whiskers, since they hunt in such a dark, closed environment. They have strong shoulders for climbing trees and a good sense of balance. They are slim and a bit small, which makes weaving through the forest easy.

Ranks:  
Cliffdrop has a much more ranked system than either of the other clans, with the leader and medicine cats having more say in matters than any other cat. They also have a more familial system, with some cats choosing to live outside the camp with their families; because of this, clan meetings need to be scheduled ahead of time. Cats outside the camp are still very much a part of the clan, paying attention to what the main camp might need, such as food, more cats, etc.  
The medicine cats, and some others, are able to walk in most of the cat's dreams. This makes it very easy to alert others of a coming storm, a sudden meeting, or a battle. Like Saltmarsh and Driftwood, they usually have two or more medicine cats, especially with out-of-camp families.  
The elders in this clan are head-strong and feisty, choosing themselves whether they still want to hunt and fight.  
Once kits are 3 moons old, senior warriors may start them in gentle hunting and climbing lessons. At 6 moons, they earn their apprentice titles and are trained in earnest.

Territory:  
A tall cliff makes a natural border between this clan from Saltmarsh and Driftwood. Going towards Driftwood territory, the cliff gets shorter and goes past the Driftwood border. There have been quite a few skirmishes to decide where the boundary in that part of the forest should be.  
At the top of the cliff are the windblown trees, slanted pacific madrones that have been beaten back for decades by the ocean storms and tall, needle-less pines. It's forbidden to travel along the edge of the cliff, whether at the bottom or the top, because it's so dangerous; a gust of wind could knock a cat off his paws and send him right to his death, or a cat at the bottom could be crushed falling rocks or trees. Many cats have died and cats from any clan are punished if they are found putting their lives at risk in this way.  
Inside the forest, Cliffdrop is protected from the wind and rain- at the cost of the occasional falling tree.  
On calm, sunny days, the clan is allowed to go closer to the edge of the cliff to watch the sunset.

Camp:  
The main camp is just about in the middle of Cliffdrop land. It's well-hidden, surrounded by bushes and ferns. On one side of the camp is a large fallen tree. The earth under it has been dug out and it is now a shared den for the elders and medicine cats. The nursery is in the middle of a clump of thick bushes, protected from enemies and the weather. The warriors and apprentices share a den near the nursery. The leader's den is in the naturally hollowed-out trunk of an old, tall tree. Cliffdrop's main camp is the smallest of the clans.  
The small family camps are close to the main one. They have been used for generations.  
All dens have been reinforced with fern fronds to make them stronger and weather-proof.

Hunting and food:  
As they are in the forest, hunting is straight forward- scent, stalk, pounce. In spring, they climb trees, looking for bird nests containing eggs and hatchlings. In fall and winter when it rains, part of the territory turns into a sort of swamp. At that time Cliffdrop are able to hunt for frogs, salamanders, and the odd fish.  
After clamming, the clan is temporarily allowed some beach territory to scavenge for clams, crabs, and any two-leg food they might find.


End file.
